DERBY County star Craig Bryson believes he can mark the biggest match of his career so far by sinking Stoke in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The 26-year-old, from Westwood, has been a consistent performer for the Rams since he moved from Kilmarnock to the Championship side in the summer.

And, as he prepares to line up against Premiership stars like Peter Crouch and Rory Delap in the fourth round tie, the midfield maestro is relishing the prospect of facing a side who sit eighth in the Barclays Premier League.

Bryson told the News: “I’ve never played a Premiership side in a competitive game before, so this will be the biggest match I’ve ever been involved in.

“When I was at Kilmarnock we played some Premier League teams in friendlies, but never in a match that actually means something.

“And this game is huge for us. We know Stoke are a big, strong side who can throw the ball into the box from anywhere with (long-throw expert) Rory Delap in their side.

“They are doing really well in the Premiership this season, but the way we have been playing for the last five games or so, we go into this one full of confidence.

“It’s good to have them at Pride Park and with the crowd behind us, hopefully, we can get a result.

“In the FA Cup anything can happen and there have been plenty of shocks over the years, so we’ll be hoping to add to that.”

Bryson’s side – who currently lie eleventh in the Championships table – went on a poor run of form in the run-up to Christmas, winning just twice in 13 games.

But since a 1-0 Boxing Day win over Leeds, the Rams have drawn one and won five, including a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in the previous round of the FA Cup.

And having played all 28 games for the club this season, as well as scoring four goals, even Bryson is surprised by how much he is loving life in Derbyshire.

The former EK Thistle and Clyde hero added: “We started the season well, but the team was hit by a couple of injuries after a while and we faltered a wee bit.

“In November we went the whole month without winning a game, but after Christmas we have picked up and are back winning games again.

“It has been up and down for us this season, but it’s been an excellent time for me.

“My time here has been better than I could have hoped for and playing every game for the team is fantastic.

“When I left Scotland I wanted to prove to myself that I can play at this level and I must be doing something right to be playing week in, week out for a club as big as Derby.”